Microsoft has made a lot of noise about how Windows 7 will run on netbooks. That’s all fine and well when you’re talking about machines with snazzy new Intel Atom processors and Intel GMA950 graphics. But how about a machine with a sluggish VIA C7-M CPU like the Apricot PicoBook Pro? As ZDNet found out, it turns out that the PicoBook Pro can handle Windows 7 just fine.

The folks at ZDNet UK installed an early build of Windows 7 on the Apricot netbook. It looks like the installation process probably takes around a half hour. And when it’s all done, the performance ain’t half ad.

This shouldnt’ come as a huge surprise, since we already knew that the HP Mini-Note 2133 could handle Windows 7. The HP netbook also has a VIA C7-M processor, but it runs at 1.6GHz (although 1.2GHz and 1.0GHz models are available). This is the first report I’ve seen of Windows 7 working on a machine with a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor.

Now has anyone tried installing Windows 7 on a system with a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor or a 500MHz AMD Geode CPU yet?

via NetbookTech

When Apricot computers announced the Picobook Pro last week, the company promised there would be Linux and Windows XP options available. But now it looks like the company has decided to remove the Linux option. Of course, there’s nothing preventing you from buying a Picobook running Windows and replacing it with your operating system of choice. But good luck getting Microsoft to send you a check for the money you spent on the unused Windows license that came with the PC.

The Picobook Pro will be available on November 1st in the UK for £299. The machine looks like your standard netbook fare, with an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 60GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. This model sports a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU and integrated Chrome9 graphics. Perhaps we’ll see future models use the faster VIA Nano processor.

So what exactly sets the Picobook Pro apart from other netbooks? According to a recent interview with MegaWhatTV, an Apricot exec says the netbook is “made of the finest materials,” and that Apricot avoided mistakes that early adopters made by waiting for the market to mature. You know, mistakes like making the touchpad too small. Oh wait, no. The Picobook Pro has a ridiculously small touchpad. You can check out the video yourself after the break.

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